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Cromwell Tank
|upkeep = |prereq = None |production_struc = Armor Command Truck |primary_weapon = ROQF 75mm Cannon |secondary_weapon = 1x M1919A4 Coaxial Machine-gun 1x 7.92mm Besa Machine-gun |health = |armor = Medium |speed = 5.5 m/s |num_abilities = 2 |abilities = Flank Speed * Increases the tank's maximum speed by 50% * Reduces Fuel accumulation by about for the duration of the effect * Costs . * Duration: 30 seconds. * Cooldown: 60 seconds. Hull Down Position * Covers the tank in sandbags and extra plating, increasing its overall armor and defense. * The unit is immobile while this ability is active. * Requires the "Hull down" upgrade from the Royal Engineers Support. * Costs nothing. * Cooldown: 9 seconds. |num_upgrades = 1 |upgrades = Tank Crew Commander * Increases the tank's sight-range by 10 meters. * Costs to install. }} The Tank Cruiser Mk.VIII Cromwell, or Cromwell Tank, is a medium tank fielded by the British in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. These tanks form the British main armored force, being cheaper in Population Cap points than all other British medium tanks. The Cromwell Tank is good for many different uses, and in times of need can employ a massive speed boost to outmaneuver enemy tanks. Cromwell Tank'''s works best in groups or supported by other units. Overview With the Armor Command Truck on the field, the British can begin production of their armor assault force. These are the units that will, once ready, begin assaulting enemy positions to take more ground and improve the British advantage in the battle. The Cromwell Tank is the primary (or at least most basic) component in this assault force. The cost of a single Cromwell Tank is , , which is slightly cheaper than other tanks of its capabilities. It also takes up , like most other medium tanks in the game. It may be produced from the Armor Command Truck as soon as it is set up. The Cromwell Tank is armed with a single ROQF 75mm cannon. This cannon is fairly average compared to other tank cannons, it can damage other medium tanks, and is accurate enough to reliably kill infantry. In addition, the tank has two Light Machine Guns installed for use against soft targets. A Cromwell Tank's armor is 76mm thick, and like other British tanks it is not much stronger at the front than it is at the sides or rear, offering good all-around protection. While it will not stop cannonfire, the armor protects the tank from any small-arms, flame-throwers, or even light cannons. Additionally, thanks to the tank's design, it is somewhat harder to hit with anti-tank guns than other medium tanks. '''Cromwells are often deployed in groups of three or four. This allows one or two tanks to engage and hold the enemy, while the other tanks employ their Flank Speed boost ability to quickly outmaneuver the target and attack its rear armor. Cromwell attack forces are often mixed with Sherman Fireflies for increased anti-tank strength, and are best when followed closely by a Cromwell Command Tank to increase their combat abilities. Weapons The Cromwell Tank is averagely-armed for a medium tank. It carries a ROQF 75mm cannon on its turret, which is good against both infantry and tanks. It's also outfitted with two Light Machine Guns, a Besa 7.92mm mounted on the hull, and an M1919A4 mounted coaxially to the main gun. Overall these weapons make the Cromwell Tank useful against most enemy targets. ROQF 75mm Cannon The main weapon on a Cromwell Tank is a 75mm cannon. This is a general-purpose gun, which is comparable in almost every way to the basic cannon on an M4 Sherman (before the upgrade). It will easily damage armoured cars and other light vehicles, and will usually penetrate the front armor of medium tanks to some extent. With a damage radius of 3 meters, it can also be used to kill infantry (especially bunched-up infantry) with respectable accuracy. Against heavier tanks, the cannon may fail to penetrate the front armor, but will reliably hurt the tank's sides or rear (even a little better than the Sherman cannon in that respect). Overall, this cannon can engage a wide range of targets, giving the tank the ability to handle pretty much any threat. Besa 7.92mm, M1919A4 Light Machine Guns The Cromwell Tank has two Light Machine Guns installed. One of these is an M1919A4, which is mounted coaxially on the turret. Hence, it will fire at whichever target the main gun is pointing at. The other weapon is a Besa 7.92mm, mounted on the front of the hull. It too will fire forward, but only in the direction the hull is pointing at. The two weapons are almost identical in all their properties, with a slightly better firing rate for the M1919A4. Nonetheless, these two weapons are good for suppressing enemy infantry, and will kill infantry if fired continuously. Abilities The Cromwell Tank can utilize the Flank Speed ability, which allows it to surprise the enemy with quick flanking maneuvers. It is crucial for defeating enemy tanks, and must be mastered in order to carry out truly successful assaults. Additionally, like all other British tanks, it can gain the ability to go into Hull Down position in order to protect itself from damage. This requires a Company Commander ability. Flank Speed *Costs , and reduces Fuel income by a few points for the duration. *Activation: Immediate *Duration: 30 seconds *Cooldown: 60 seconds When this ability is activated, the Cromwell Tank receives a maximum speed upgrade of 50%. This brings the tank from the relatively fast speed of 5 to a whopping 7.5 - as fast as a Motorcycle. Acceleration and deceleration values are adjusted accordingly, to allow the tank to utilize this maximum speed efficiently. This ability is crucial to the proper use of the Cromwell Tank. It allows the tank to quickly run past an enemy and attack its rear. This is a sure-fire way for the Cromwell to damage enemy medium and heavy tanks, as the Cromwell's main cannon may have trouble getting through their front armor, but has little problem penetrating the rear armor. This is also the reason why Cromwell Tanks are often employed in groups: while one tank draws the enemy's attention, other tanks kick into Flank Speed mode, quickly surrounding the enemy tank and firing at its rear armor. If the enemy turns to engage any of the Flanking Cromwells, it will always expose its rear to at least one of the Cromwells. Note that while this ability is active, the tank draws about per minute, which is taken out of your continuous income. This is certainly not a big loss, unless you're dangerously (well, recklessly) low on Fuel as it is. After patch 2.400, this ability is only usable if the tank has no engine damage. Hull Down Position *Costs: Nothing *Prerequisite: Royal Engineers Support: Hull Down *Activation: Immediate *Cooldown: 9 seconds (activate/deactivate) Once the "Hull Down" ability has been purchased on the Royal Engineers Support Field Improvements chart, it becomes available for all Cromwell Tanks until the end of the mission. To activate this ability, simply click it. The tank becomes immobile as sand bags barricades are erected all around it. The tank can continue firing while this is being accomplished. Once the process is complete (9 seconds), the tank will have traded its mobility for increased defense. The tank's armor is increased by 25%, and it takes only 75% damage from any source. To release the Cromwell Tank from Hull Down Position, simply click the button again. This is only possible once the tank has been fully entrenched - you cannot stop the entrenching process halfway-through. As soon as the button is clicked, the tank is released immediately from the sandbags (which disappear) and may drive off at once. Upgrades Like most other British tanks, the Cromwell Tank may be upgraded with a Tank Crew Commander to increase its sight-range. This is a cheap and fast upgrade that can be installed at any time, and so should be installed when possible. Tank Crew Commander *Costs: *Takes 10 seconds to install *May be installed outside friendly territory When this upgrade is complete, the top hatch of the Cromwell Tank will open, and a crewman will pop his head out to look around. This commander increases the sight-range of the tank to exactly 45 meters, from its original 35. The sight-range increase effectively allows the tank to survey enemy troop positions without being detected (since most units and emplacements in the game have a sight-range of only 35 meters). Since it barely costs anything, this upgrade should be installed on all tanks for added situational awareness. It also allows the Cromwell Tank to perform force reconnaissance if required. Tactics Once the British defensive line is complete, the British army can begin preparing for its assault on enemy territory. British doctrine maintains that from the defensive line, an armored force can simply break into enemy territory in force, capture a few key sectors, and then move the defensive line forward to secure them. This process is repeated until such a point where the enemy has been pushed back far enough that it can no longer defend against a column advancing right into its headquarters and obliterating it. The Cromwell Tank plays the lynch-pin role in this strategy, being the core of the British armored assault. To this end, several Cromwells will often drive into enemy territory together, accompanied by infantry and/or Sherman Fireflies, forcing the enemy to retreat or be run over. On the Offensive Due to their (relatively) low Population Cap cost, Cromwell Tanks usually make up the bulk of the British armored offensive force. Normally, two or three Cromwell Tanks will drive at the front of the advance. They will either be lead by a single Churchill Tank, Sherman Firefly, Cromwell Tank or various Infantry, in descending order of preference. Initially, the Cromwell formation should be tight, following the leader closely. Once the enemy has been engaged, the types of enemy targets encountered should determine your next move. In case of enemy infantry or light-vehicle forces, the Cromwells will generally form a firing line and simply shower shells on the enemy until it submits. However if an enemy tank is encountered, the Cromwell formation is loosened up: Two Cromwells (if available) will break off in different directions, activate Flank Speed, and drive around the enemy tank in order to attack it from the rear. All the while, a stronger unit (preferably a Churchill Tank if available) will keep the enemy tank busy and draw its fire - using the Hull Down Position if possible. Once the flanking Cromwells reach their designated positions (quickly, thanks to the extra speed), they can begin blasting the enemy's rear armor freely. This maneuver puts all the Cromwell Tank's abilities to good use: its satisfactory front armor, its speed bonus, and its ability to damage enemy tanks quite well in their hind quarters. Always keep the Cromwells supported by anti-infantry units. Even though they can take care of infantry themselves, anti-tank infantry will still damage the Cromwells significantly if it can outflank them. It's always advisable to have a Cromwell Command Tank just behind the center tank (the one that's keeping the enemy busy) to boost its survivability. On the Defensive The British armored force is not meant to be used defensively at all. That is what the powerful British Defensive Structures and emplacements are for. The tanks should usually be grouping up at the rear, being Over Repaired by specialized Sappers, and ready to drive off as soon as the force is ready to strike the enemy. If enemy armor does manage to breach your lines, Cromwells can usually very easily move to intercept it - again, with Flank Speed for extra alacrity. The speed bonus will also help you quickly catch light vehicles that have infiltrated your territory, so be mindful of that. Overall though, keep your tanks repaired and ready. The enemy can make a mistake at any time, allowing you to exploit it with a powerful armored punch. Do not waste that opportunity by having half-damaged tanks or tanks driving off to protect some rear area when the opportunity presents itself. Weaknesses The Cromwell Tank is just about as average as a tank can get - with one difference: its rear armor is not as weak as on other tanks. This makes them more resistant to flank attacks, for instance by anti-tank infantry - and even moreso when using the Hull Down ability. When flanked, they can also easily escape thanks to their Flank Speed. Unfortunately, the Cromwell Tank's overall armor is nothing to brag about. Anti-tank cannons will still do serious damage to the tank's front, not to mention side or rear armor. They will not last long face-to-face with another tank, even with the Cromwell's innate low-profile (which makes them a little harder to hit). A single Cromwell Tank is no match for an armored tank destroyer. Of course, where there is one Cromwell, there usually are more, waiting to assist. Keep this in mind when playing against the British. Quotes Selected: Selected, in combat: Selected, heavily damaged: Selected, for the millionth time in a row: Halt order, in combat: Move order: Move order, in combat: Move order, heavily damaged: Flank Speed engaged: Flank Speed engaged, in combat: Under attack: Under attack, heavily damaged: Attack order: Attacking specific targets: Attack order, heavily damaged: Upgrade started: Upgrade completed: Main gun destroyed: Engine destroyed: Trivia "L4ND5HIP" (which means LANDSHIP) is painted on all sides of the tank. Gallery Cromwell Tank 01.jpg|Tank Cruiser Mk VIII Cromwell- Cromwell Tank Cromwell_Tank_02.jpg|A Cromwell Tank in combat. Unit_Cromwell_Tank_Firing.jpg|A Cromwell firing its main weapon. Cromwell_Tank.jpg|Real-world Cromwell Tank, for comparison Category:Vehicles Category:British Units